Straight-rib-knitting machine.



- No. 654,982. Patented July 3|, I900.

D. HUHLEY &. W. T. BABBATT. STRAIGHT BIB KNITTINGMACHINE.

(Application filed Dan. 30, 1899.) (No Model.) I 4 Sheets-Sheet l.

WITNESSES: INYENTEIRE:

76 2- m mm 773M 1W3 JQ 1 B I ATTEVI ENE, Y

rm: Noam PETERS co. PHOTO-Undo wnsumcm, n. c.

No. 654,982. Patented July 3|. 1900.

'n. HUBLEY & WQT. BARRATT. STRAIGHT RIB KNITTING'MACHINE.

(Application filed Im. so; 1899.) (No Model.) 4.811eets-Sheet 2.

a. E YWJATTURN'Ei No. 654,982. Patented July 3|, I900.

I D. HURLEY & WNT. BARRATT.

STRAIGHT BIB KNITTING MACHINE.

(Application filed Dec. 30, 1899.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets$heal 3,

EYWATTEIRNEY "No. 654,982. Patented July 3|, I900. D. HURLEY & W. T. BARRATT. STRAIGHT RIB KNITTING MACHINE.

(Application filed Dec. 30, 1899.)

(No Moda'l.)

I 4 Sheets Sheet 4.

WITNESSES: IBIVENTEIHS:

EYWAT'TEIRNEY.

'mz' NORRIS PETERS co. PHOTD-LITHQ. wumm-ruul u c.

DANIEL HURLEY AND WILLIAM T. BARRATT, or BENNINGTON, VERMONT, ASSIGNORS TO CHARLES ooornn, or SAME PLACE.

s TRAlGHTmlB-KNlTTlNG M CHINE.

srncrrrca'rron forming part ofLetters Patent No. 654,982, dated an 31, 1960. Application at December 30, 899. fierialNo. 742,150. on model.)

To all whom it ma concern:

Be it known that we, DANIEL HURLEY and WILLIAM T. BARRATT, citizens of the United States, residing at Bennington, in the county of Bennington and State of Vermont, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Straight-Rib-Knitting Machines; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

This invention relates to straight-rib-knitting machines, and has for its object to so construct certain parts of the machine that the same machine may be used to knit fabrics of a different gage or weight, or, in other Words, to enable us to use yarns of greatlyvarying gage or weight with the same needles, it only being necessary to lengthen or shorten the stitch, as the case may be.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a straight-ribknitting machine embodying our improvements. Fig. 2 is .a vertical transverse section on the line a; 00 of Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional details on enlarged scale, showing the sinkers in different positions. Fig. 5 is a view, partly in section, showing the adjusting devices for the falling bars. Fig. 5% is a perspective view showing means for actuating the front needle-bar slide. Figs. 6 to 12, inclusive, are face views of the various cams used to operate parts of the machine.

Like figures of reference refer to corresponding parts in each figure of the drawings.

We will first briefly describe the parts of the machinewhich are of usualconstruction and the operation of which is well understood by thoseskilled in theart to which this invention belongs. j

"1 indicates the frame of the machine, having the front rail 3 and the back rail 2, upon which many ofthe parts of 't'hemachine are supported. The back needle-bar is indicated by 4 and carries the back needles 25, the heads of these needles being indicated by 24. The front needle-bar 8 carries the front needles 26, and it is of course understood that actuated by pinions 21, the latter being operated by the. latches 19, which may be locked in the desired position in any approved manner. The falling bar 18 is supported and guided by caps 16. The sinkers are pushed down until they engage the falling bar 17 by the slur-cock 60, which is mounted on the bar 59, and the falling bars are raised to return the sinkers to their normal position by means of a cam 40, which engages a truck 48 on a lever 35, the latter being connected to the falling bar 18 by a rod 30. The thread-carrier needle is indicated by 15, and it slides upon a barlet and lays the thread upon the back needles in position 'to be sunk between the needles by the sinkers to form loops.

The presser-bar is indicated by 13 and is connected to the presser-lever 38 through the medium of arms 22 and27. The cam 43 is attached to a blank 42,the latter-being mounted on the driving-shaft 62. The lever 38 is provided with a laterally-extending stud, on which a truck or roller 51 is journaled, and this truck is held in position to be engaged by the cam 43 by a fiat spring 61, which engages a pin 52, projecting from the lever.

The front needle-bar slide 28 is connected to a small link 53, which is' adj ustably connected to a pivoted lever 37, as indicated at 37 in Fig. 51 and this latter lever is actuated by a cam 45,which engages a truck 50, pivoted on the lever. As the cam 45 passes off the truck 50 a coil-spring 74 (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5%) draws the slide'28 upward into its normal position. A spring 31 WS lever 53 in engagement with lever 37. v

The front knocking-over bar 9 slides in a box 6 and carries a knocking-over plate 7. This bar 9 engages a pin 54:, projecting from a pivoted lever 36, and the latter carries a Y roller 49, which is engaged by a cam 41. v The,

In order to carnyoutronr present inventiony; it is necessary to move the back-bar needles to almost their extreme rearward position before the stitches are cast ofifrom the'frontbar needles, and subsequently it is necessary,

to slightly elevate the heads of the back-bar needles in order thattheyin-ay move totheirv forward position withoutin-terferi-ng with the; stitches on the front-bar needles. The back. knockingover bar ,is indicated by 5 and is.

, provided-at its edge with grooves55, inwhichj the needles rest and by which they are guided .l

As shown, the bar 5 is supported on trn-nnions. 56 near, its ,rear. end, and to the rear of these trunnions a depending. arm .83 is connected to, theibar. and provided at its lower end wi-th.a

roller 46,with which acamxl is adapted to, en gage. Thisengagementlwillmove the lower end-of the arm forward, and thus elevate the, forward edgeyof the. bar 5, andconsequently lift the needles 25,'which rest. upon it.,. The

slide 29,-' to .which the back needle-bar 4 is. connectedyis provided with a roller 57-, with. whichthe upwardly-projecting arm 34 of a lever,- 63'; engages to reciprocate the needle;

barn, Thelever 63 is'pivoted at its rear, end

onaa shaft 64* and its forward. end carries .a roller 47, whichrests uponacam 39,;mounted. nponthe'shaft 624 The connection between. the lever 63' and the roller 47 may,be adjnsted by aflset-screwAfl in order t-hat the freeend of, the .lever 53 may be. aised orlowered .relai-. tivelyto. the roller. j Thenormal tendency of the .-fr,ont ;en d Eof the lever-,isto drop, and thereby move the upper end of itsarm 34, for:

-"1. hesev ral'cams beinssomounted ra t ateine. parts; they. control at. the

.propertin1es,-.the operationof the machine, "wi-ll;be-.aS follows: Assuming there are also;

, ri'es of loops on theback-bar needlesjfronr the fabric already knitted and that these nee: dles are in theinextreme forward position and;

,thatthe front; needles 26 are in their highest,

position crossing the needles 25, jataHrigh-tangle-.withthe-beards" standing toward eachl other, the thread-carrier '15 willjthen move.

aoross-and lay the yarn onthe backfneedles 25, followed by the .slu r.-,cock3-60 pushing, the, sinkers 23 down ;;on :the ,falling ,bar, 17. andsinkingtheyarn down between the-v-needlesl25gf. Duringthis, operation "thatjgpart of-.,jca-m -39 of, least diameter fromw65l to66t willhave ;.been engaged with; the ,roller- 4'1 and ithe;need1e; bar. ,4 jwill have remained; practicallystationary in its; extreme forward; position." From t hispointfifi thediameter of, the cam gradually increases to the point. 67

and willioperate theleverfifiand causegity-to retraet theneedle-band and (the needles .251

until'ltthe ;-loops are (under thebeards lof fiche needles, Then. the presser-bar l3 is'emoved down to force down the boards ofthe needles 25 sothat their points will go under the old loops, and temporarily the needles.2 5 will be at rest while the presser-bar is movinginto engagement with them, this rest beingperhiitted .bythe .cam .39 being. inoperative son s the, lever -inpmoving froml points 67 to 68. From points 68 to 69, however, it again becomes operative and acts on the lever 63 to force theYneedle-bar- 4 back to its extreme nea ward position, and in this movement the new loops will be caused to move out into the -heads oftheneedles-25 -by-engagement with the :sinkers .and thensdrawn through the old loops, and the latterwill be cast off theneedles lifted .j ust. before the new. loops-were drawn 25, the sinkersinthe meantimehaving been-- throughgthe old Tones=; In nearly al-l,;the,old; construction of machinesthe needles 25;,would I immediately betreturnedttottheir forward-p0: sition, thereby moving throughlthenewloops" .1.

until. the latter hung upon.them.where the,

wire .islofmuch .largerfdialnfl er. than it'iswbe heath the beard,;and.th e, stitches .on the, front needlesi26 would;th en,.becas t off. It;V.;is-..,at... this, point. that our improvement :beg ihs,,. for=- it ,will. be 1seen;that-fthe. cam .hasits great.-..

est. diameter from the ,points;. 69..to170,and

while this part is moving against, ;the.roller- 47 the needle-band ,willbe-maintainerlinrits extreme rearwardposition, .then -,,fnomnt.tliepoints 7 O to. 71 the-needleabaret WilLinove fore.

, 'wardvery slightly,.and; from. .7-1150. .72.;it .will; I

again move to itsextnem'e rearwardpesi-tioma and-.idu ring allilthis. time ctheanewdoopsmill; 1 be in; the, .lieadslsof. fthe. :needles, belowzatheu beards; Dinringihe.moveinentnof 'ithe camwill, have operated jtmactnate thepressento .force. down the beardsofthe front ne.edles\2 6 to move snch'needlesdowmto .castoif the old stitches .andtake up the mew, ones, and-then v return. theneedl'es' to theilzhighest..posi-tion.;.

Immediate] y. after. the ,needles rare eat} .their. highest -position\ .the. portion :o f.,.the :OELIIhBQ.

aslight backward movement,;which-, Willi? tighten the. .fstitches, .andQthmjn themove. merit of; the cam .39 from. 72110 .65 the.tbar..4 willagain .move forward. :to its extre-me. jfor+1 ward position ,ready for. the. ,next course,; .it,

beingimpelledby the spring-. 7 J 11811 asathe point. 7 2 of; the cam 39 mevesoft'. the .roller. .47

the-camAA will engage the rollerAG andactn=- atelthearm ,331-to, tilt; .the .knockingmverlbarr g 5,; and therebyelevate the front; .endsofathe. needles -25, sottha t in. moving; forwardthey;

will not interfere with the stitches-sonetheneedles 26, and as soon as. the .front sends of the .needles:25. have passed. forward sn ffi-z. ciejntly. ;.to clear, the needles 26 andtthe, ayarn thereon-the knockingwer .ban5 willlres im e; its .normal: 'positionland permit .the needles 25 to resu me thei'r. .oposition. Byl this'i mode? of operation .we are able to.use thesamemaa chine and the.-same.needles therein atopk'nitk,

fabrics of widely-varying weights, running from the lightest the machine can knit to a fabric as heavy as can be made, and to accomplish this it is only necessary to adjust the length of the stitches by raising the in side falling bar 17 by means of the latch 19, and also adjusting the connectionbetween the lever 37 and the lever 53, which regulates the movement of the front needle-bar 8, and the connection between the lever 63 and roller 47, which governs the movement of the back needle-bar 4, to make the extent of movements of the needle-barssuitable to the length ofstitch.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a straight-rib-knitting machine, the combination with the front and back needles, of mechanismto holdtheback needles in their extreme or nearly extreme backward position until after the stitches have been cast ofi the front needles and the latter returned to their highest position, and mechanism to elevate the front ends of the back needles to carry them over the stitches on the front needles, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a straight-rib-knitting machine, the combination with the front and back needles, of means to lay the new loops in the heads of the back needles beneath their beards, means to retract and hold the back needles in their extreme or nearly extreme backward position, with the new loops hanging from their heads beneath their beards, during the period necessary to cast oi the stitcheslfrom the front needles and return the latter needles to their highest position, and means to elevate the front ends of the back needles to carry them over the stitches on the front needles, as and for the purpose set forth. I

3. In a straight-rib-knitting machine, the combination with the front and back needles, and mechanism to hold the back needles in approximately their extreme backward position until after the stitches have been cast off the front needles and the latter elevated, of a bar 5 on the front edge of which the back needles rest, said bar being supported on trunnions, a depending arm connected to the rear end of said bar, and a cam 45 to intermittently engage the lower end of said bar and thereby elevate the heads of the back needles as they return to their forward position, substantially as set forth.

Witnessesi CHARLES S. KEHoE, LoUIs L. TIFFANY.

WILLIAM '1". BARRATT. 

